Traditional flint and steel advice
- Thread starter Barney Rubble
- Start date
Some people say that black tends to spark better, sell it for firelighting as 'rare and high quality', but I have used all sorts without any noticeable differences IMHO.
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I bought a steel from a chap on here who makes them. I picked up an old flint from a garden I was working in and whacked it against another to make a sharp bit and it wasn't long before I was making fire. I too like the char cloth to be held against the top edge of the flint - I had an ember within a couple of minutes that way. I tried the modern fire steel method of putting the cloth on the floor and striking on it, but after a few minutes I realised that I was wasting my time!
Here is another way I've seen, although it seems to use a lot of charcloth.
[video=youtube;tSwLly61QJs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSwLly61QJs[/video]
[video=youtube;tSwLly61QJs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSwLly61QJs[/video]
Alright Barney,here is a vid of me using flint n steel down at the farm in Egerton.Was a bit windy that day.http://youtu.be/YVZferaD2IU
I use punkwood so the on top of the flint isn't and option. I spread the wood on the ground for a wide coverage area, however I don't strike the flint with the striker though as the sparks tend to head upwards I hold the striker near the punkwood and strike it with the flint.
Keith does not use char cloth he uses mostly punk wood and some natural tinder.
I only showed Keiths video as an example on striking the sparks into the tinder box. No matter what type of tinder is used, it seem to use a lot with this method. That said as long as the fire is started, you can produce more tinder.
About a year ago after watching a "bushcraft" show on TV my wife asked me to show her how to make fire with flint and steel, she is OK with a ferro rod and such. I explained, demonstrated how I achieve it, got her fire kit which I had gathered for her. Striking the flint with the steel was the most stressful part for her but she is tough so in no time and a few skinned fingers she got an ember going first with char cloth then ignited a tinder bundle. Next she used a piece of "sitahging" (tree fungus) got her ember and ignition. Now I'm not saying that I am the best teacher but she was able to do this in less than 10 minutes. To many here put so much pressure on yourselves by analyzing "the best/material/technique". Please just get some items bought, given or found and practice and achieve it. Relax make a non competitive game of it. After you are competent then pursue a possible "best" way of fire lighting. Enjoy your journey of learning "bushcraft" skill as much as I EENJJoy biegn on the coputor
